1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus and method of recording and reproducing video/audio, and more particularly, to an apparatus and method of controlling playback according to program ratings, by which a playback mode is controlled on the basis of a viewable program grade set by a user, upon playback of programs recorded together with information associated with the program ratings.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the prior art, a broadcasting station transmits video and audio signals related to a broadcast program, and the television of a user receives and modulates video and audio signals and outputs the video signal to the monitor and outputs the audio signal to the speaker. These are the entire functions of a conventional television.
However, as the function of the television becomes diversified, the broadcasting station, which basically transmits and receives video and audio signals, transmits the video and audio signals with additional information. For example, the broadcasting station may insert information related to a television program into a specific area for a video signal which is not shown on the monitor, and transmits signals with the information recorded as described above, and a receiving side extracts this program information added to a video signal, and utilizes it during setting of programmed recording. Therefore, the programmed recording is easily set. Also, viewers can easily search for and watch a desired program while checking the program broadcasting sequence of each broadcasting station.
As the function of the television becomes further diversified, the broadcasting station classifies broadcasting programs as well as broadcasting program information, by ratings, into programs that can be viewed only by adults, and programs that all family members can view together. The broadcasting station has been developed so as to transmit broadcasting program information together with information associated with viewable program ratings.
Then, the receiving side extracts data associated with the grade of a received program from the broadcasting program information, and normally outputs a video signal and an audio signal if the grade of the received program is lower than the grade of the viewable program set by a user, and prevents output of video and audio signals if the grade of the received program is higher than the set viewable program.
Also, in the case that a video signal to which information associated with the program ratings is recorded by a recording device such as VCR, and then reproduced, data concerning the grade of a received program is extracted, and a video signal and an audio signal are normally output if the grade pertains to a group of viewable programs. Otherwise, the signals are controlled to be not output.
Generally, several types of programs are recorded on one VCR tape and viewed by users. However, in the case that several types of programs have different program ratings, even if a currently-reproduced program belongs to a group of programs, that cannot be viewed by all family members, because its rating is higher than the rating of the set viewable program, the VCR plays the tape in a normal playback mode to make viewers wait until the next viewable recorded program is played back. Alternatively, the viewers must manually convert the play mode into a high-speed search mode to search for the next recorded program. As described above, the conventional television has problems in use.